In the Belly of the Whale
| Autor: | Patricia Hampl |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1993 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | The Iowa Review. 23:26-36 |
| ISSN: | 2330-0361 0021-065X |
| DOI: | 10.17077/0021-065x.4307 |
| Popis: | SHE WAS BEGGING ME to let her out. "I'm scared," she whimpered. "I'm scared of the dark. No kidding, I really really really am." She held to the word, clinging to the long vowel like a life-ring: ree-ee-lly ree-ee-lly ree-ee-lly. No anger, no outrage. Just that panicky voice, clutching sincerity. This was the voice of Sheila Phalen, my best friend. I had pinned her in Sister Immaculata's broom closet, an airless cube at the back of our second grade classroom, next to the cloakroom. The hempy, not-quite-dead smell of wet wool rose from the jackets hanging on pegs in the cloakroom; black slush puddled on the floor from the boys' rubber overshoes. Y m really really scared. Really. Anyone would have taken pity on this voice, limp with fright. Not me. I hove in, drove my shoulder harder against the narrow closet door, put some real muscle into it: You just stay there till you're good and scared. You just stay there. I had my reasons. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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